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Joshua Chapter
Fourteen
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO JOSHUA 14
This
chapter proceeds to give an account of the countries divided to the children of
Israel in the land of Canaan, Joshua 14:1; but
previous to that division relates the claim of Caleb to Hebron, through a
promise made unto him by Moses forty five years ago, upon his report of the
good land, whither he was sent a spy by him, Joshua 14:6; and
the grant which Joshua made of it to him, with his blessing, Joshua 14:13.
Joshua 14:1 These
are the areas which the children of Israel inherited in the land of
Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the
fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel distributed as an inheritance
to them.
YLT
1And these [are] they [of]
the sons of Israel who inherited in the land of Canaan, whom Eleazar the
priest, and Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of
the sons of Israel, caused to inherit;
And these are the countries which the children of Israel
inherited in the land of Canaan,.... Of which an exact account is given in
the following chapters, particularly in the Joshua 15:1,
which Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads
of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel, distributed for an
inheritance unto them; namely, ten princes, one of each tribe, who, with Eleazar and
Joshua, were appointed of the Lord by name to do this business, even seven
years ago, before their entrance into the land of Canaan, Numbers 34:17.
Joshua 14:2 2 Their inheritance was
by lot, as the Lord
had commanded by the hand of Moses, for the nine tribes and the half-tribe.
YLT
2by lot [is] their
inheritance, as Jehovah commanded by the hand of Moses, for the nine of the
tribes, and the half of the tribe;
By lot was their inheritance,.... Every tribe had its
part and portion assigned to it, by the casting of lots; which was done to
prevent any future quarrels, animosities and strifes among the tribes, the
disposition being of the Lord; and to show the exact agreement between the lot
and the divine predictions by Jacob and Moses; and to make it appear that the
division of the land was not owing to the private combination of the above men,
and their private settlement of it; but to the providence of God, the directors
of the lot; their chief business was to see that the lot was executed in a
faithful manner, and that every tribe had its allotment according to it. In
this Canaan was a type of the heavenly inheritance, which the saints obtain by
lot, in and through Christ, the antitypical Joshua, Ephesians 1:11,
as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses, Numbers 26:55,
for the nine tribes, and for the half tribe; see Joshua 13:7; the
reason why this number of them is particularly mentioned follows.
Joshua 14:3 3 For Moses had given the
inheritance of the two tribes and the half-tribe on the other side of the
Jordan; but to the Levites he had given no inheritance among them.
YLT
3for Moses hath given the
inheritance of two of the tribes, and of half of the tribe, beyond the Jordan,
and to the Levites he hath not given an inheritance in their midst;
And Moses had given the inheritance of two tribes, and an half
tribe, on the other side Jordan,.... The two tribes of Gad and Reuben, and
the half tribe of Manasseh, whose inheritance is described in Joshua 13:8,
but unto the Levites he gave none inheritance among them; this is
frequently observed, that it might be taken notice of, to show the
disinterestedness of Moses in this affair, Levi being his own tribe; and to
recommend the care of the Levites to the other tribes, according to the
provision God had made for them.
Joshua 14:4 4 For the children of Joseph
were two tribes: Manasseh and Ephraim. And they gave no part to the Levites in
the land, except cities to dwell in, with their common-lands for their
livestock and their property.
YLT
4for the sons of Joseph hath
been two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim, and they have not given a portion to the
Levites in the land, except cities to dwell in, and their suburbs for their
cattle, and for their possessions;
For the children of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim,.... For the
birthright being forfeited by Reuben, was given to Joseph, who had the double
portion, the privilege of the firstborn; by which means the number of the
twelve tribes was kept up in the division of the land, though that of Levi had
no share in it; and which is also a reason why they had none, that Joseph's two
sons might be reckoned two tribes:
therefore they gave no part unto the Levites in the land; to make way
for the sons of Joseph to have the double portion:
save cities to dwell in; and that only, for they
might not sell them, as other Israelites could theirs:
with their suburbs, for their cattle, and for their substance; the Targum
is,
"for
all their beasts, and for their cattle;'that is, for convenient places to put
them into, and for pasturage for, them; which Kimchi and Ben Melech interpret
of their larger and lesser cattle, their herds and their flocks, their oxen and
sheep.
Joshua 14:5 5 As the Lord had commanded
Moses, so the children of Israel did; and they divided the land.
YLT
5as Jehovah commanded Moses,
so have the sons of Israel done, and they apportion the land.
As the Lord commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did,....
Particularly with respect to the division of the land, and making provision for
the Levites; this they did by their heads and representatives, the high priest
and chief ruler, and the princes of the several tribes:
and they divided the land; met about it, and began
to take measures in order to do it; they prepared for it, though as yet it was
not actually done, and previous to it was the following incident.
Joshua 14:6 6 Then the children of Judah
came to Joshua in Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to
him: “You know the word which the Lord said to Moses the man of
God concerning you and me in Kadesh Barnea.
YLT
6And the sons of Judah come
nigh unto Joshua in Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenezzite saith unto
him, `Thou hast known the word that Jehovah hath spoken unto Moses the man of
God, concerning me and concerning thee in Kadesh-Barnea:
Then the children of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal,.... Whither
he was returned after the conquest of the kings and their kingdoms; these were
not the whole tribe of Judah, but some of the chief men of it who accompanied
Caleb, for the honour of him, as Ben Gersom observes, he being their prince;
and to second his petition, and to show their consent unto, and an approbation
of such an assignment to him as he desired:
and Caleb, the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, said unto him; whether Caleb
or Jephunneh called the Kenezite, and what the reason of the name, are not very
material; and of which See Gill on Numbers 32:12; and
as Caleb was personally and singly concerned in the following affair, he alone
dressed Joshua, attended with some principal men of his tribe:
thou knowest the thing the Lord said unto Moses the man of God,
concerning thee and me, in Kadeshbarnea; the place
from whence the spies were sent, and whither they returned to Moses there, of
whom Caleb speaks with great respect and veneration, which he knew would be
very pleasing and endearing to Joshua, who could not but remember what had been
said by him concerning himself and Caleb, though it was now forty five years
ago; it being so very striking and memorable, that only two of that generation
then present should enter into the land of Canaan; the fulfilment of which, in
all its circumstances, they had lived to see.
Joshua 14:7 7 I was forty years
old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh
Barnea to spy out the land, and I brought back word to him as it was in
my heart.
YLT
7a son of forty years [am] I
in Moses, servant of Jehovah, sending me from Kadesh-Barnea, to spy the land,
and I bring him back word as with my heart;
Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the Lord
sent me from Kadeshbarnea to espy out the land,.... Not he alone, but
eleven more with him, one out of every tribe; his age he mentions, and of
which, or near it, it is highly probable the rest of the spies were, to show
that he and they were in the prime of their days, both as to bodily strength
and intellectual capacity, which were requisite for such service as to spy out
the land, of what quality that and its inhabitants were; and Moses he calls the
servant of the Lord, because it was by the order and appointment of God,
signified to Moses, that this was done; and the place from whence they were
sent forth is named, which ascertains what that Kadesh was, where Israel was
encamped when the spies were sent, Numbers 13:26,
and I brought him word again, as it was in mine heart; that is, he
gave to Moses upon his return a sincere, honest and faithful representation of
the land, and its inhabitants, as it appeared to him.
Joshua 14:8 8 Nevertheless my brethren
who went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed
the Lord
my God.
YLT
8and my brethren who have
gone up with me have caused the heart of the people to melt, and I have been
fully after Jehovah my God;
Nevertheless, my brethren that went up with me,.... Meaning
the rest of the spies, excepting Joshua, that went up with him into the land of
Canaan to spy it, which they might be properly said to do, since they went up a
hill or mountain, in order to go into it, Numbers 13:17,
made the heart of the people melt; discouraged them, filled
them with fears, sunk their spirits, that their hearts flowed, and became as
weak as water, having no strength left in them, or hope of possessing the land;
being told what stout and gigantic men the inhabitants of it were, and how strongly
fortified were their cities:
but I wholly followed the Lord my God; and did not
join with them in an ill report of the good land; but having the fear of God
before his eyes, walked after that, and delivered in his report faithfully,
according to the dictates of his conscience, and the real sentiments of his
mind; of this phrase; see Gill on Numbers 14:24.
Joshua 14:9 9 So Moses swore on that
day, saying, ‘Surely the land where your foot has trodden shall be your
inheritance and your children’s forever, because you have wholly followed the Lord my God.’
YLT
9and Moses sweareth in that
day, saying, If not -- the land on which thy foot hath trodden, to thee it is
for inheritance, and to thy sons -- to the age, for thou hast been fully after
Jehovah my God.
And Moses sware on that day, saying,.... Or declared the oath
of the Lord, for it was the Lord that sware to what follows; see Deuteronomy 1:34,
surely the land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine
inheritance, and thy children's for ever: not the whole land of
Canaan, nor all the parts of it Caleb travelled through, but particularly
Hebron; which though not expressly mentioned in the aforesaid oath, yet was
understood and known to be the meaning of it, and which Joshua by the following
grant owned, and it is elsewhere expressly affirmed, Judges 1:20; and it
is remarked, that it is not said "they", but "he" came to
Hebron, Numbers 13:22; that
is Caleb, so that it was literally true that his feet had trodden there: now
the reason of this oath, and the inheritance assured by it to Caleb, was:
because thou hast wholly followed the Lord thy God; in all his
ways, and with full purpose of heart, and particularly had acted the upright
and faithful part in the report he made of the good land; See Gill on Numbers 14:24.
Joshua 14:10 10 And now, behold, the Lord has kept me
alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the Lord spoke this
word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this
day, eighty-five years old.
YLT
10`And, now, lo, Jehovah hath
kept me alive, as He hath spoken, these forty and five years, since Jehovah
spake this word unto Moses, when Israel went in the wilderness; and now, lo, I
[am] to-day a son of five and eighty years;
And now, behold, the Lord hath kept me alive, as he said,.... Had
upheld him in life, and preserved him from many dangers in the wilderness; and
had continued him not only in life, but in health to that day, according to his
promise to him, that he would bring him into the land of Canaan, and that he
should see and possess it, Numbers 14:24 Deuteronomy 1:36,
these forty and five years, even since the Lord spake this word
unto Moses, and while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness; not that the
children of Israel were wandering in the wilderness forty five years, but it
was while they were in the wilderness this word or promise, concerning Caleb,
was spoken by the Lord to Moses; and it was in the second year of their coming
out of Egypt, after which they wandered in the wilderness thirty eight years,
so that they had now been in the land of Canaan seven years; and from hence the
Jewish chronologersF19Seder Olam Rabba, c. 11. p. 31. gather, that
the land was seven years in subduing, and which their commentators in general
take notice of. MaimonidesF20Moreh Nevochim, par. 3. c. 50. p. 512.
seems to be displeased with the Arabs for calling the wilderness, through which
the Israelites travelled, "the desert of wandering"; but it appears
from hence to be a very proper epithet of it; and Kadesh the place where they
were first threatened, that they should be wanderers in the wilderness for such
a time, had the additional name of Barnea, which signifies the son of a
wanderer:
and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old; being forty
years of age when sent a spy into the land, Joshua 14:7; thirty
eight years he was with Israel in the wilderness, and seven years more since
they entered into the land, in all eighty five; there is no necessity of
understanding it that this was his precise birth day, but that about this time,
or that he was now completely of such an age, which was more by fifteen years
than the age of man in common at that time, see Psalm 90:10.
Joshua 14:11 11 As yet I am as
strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was
then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming
in.
YLT
11yet [am] I to-day strong as
in the day of Moses' sending me; as my power then, so [is] my power now, for
battle, and to go out, and to come in.
As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day
that Moses sent me,.... To spy the land, forty five years ago; suggesting that he
was as sound in his mind, understanding, judgment and memory, and as hale,
strong, and robust in his body now, as he had been so long ago; which was a
wonderful instance of the care of divine Providence over him in upholding him
in life, and continuing him in vigour and health at such an age, when the
carcasses of so many thousands had pined away and fell in the wilderness:
as my strength was then, even so is my strength now
for war; he had the same strength of body and courage of mind to engage
in warlike enterprises as he had so many years ago; and this he the rather
mentions, to prevent any objection Joshua might make to the giving of Hebron to
him, since being inhabited by giants, it required a large share of strength and
courage to attempt the conquest of it: but Caleb had strength
both to go out, and to come in; to do any civil
business, to preside over his tribe, or to govern any city, and its appendages,
that should be put into his hands.
Joshua 14:12 12 Now therefore, give me
this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day; for
you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the
cities were great and fortified. It may be that the Lord will be
with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord said.”
YLT
12`And now, give to me this
hill-country, of which Jehovah spake in that day, for thou didst hear in that
day, for Anakim [are] there, and cities, great, fenced; if so be Jehovah [is]
with me, then I have dispossessed them, as Jehovah hath spoken.'
Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake in
that day,.... The mountainous part of the country, the hill country of
Judea, in which Hebron, Debir, and other cities were; for it was not one
particular city only that Caleb requested, but a large tract of ground:
for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there,
and that the cities were great and fenced; that the
giants, called Anakims, dwelt in the mountainous country, and their cities,
Hebron, Debir, and Anab, were very large, and well fortified; this Joshua heard
at the time the spies were sent into the land, he being one of them; and this
he heard, not from the report of the spies, but from the people of the country,
and therefore must know that to conquer these men, and subdue their cities, was
an arduous undertaking; but since he had strength and courage, he hoped his
request would be granted:
if so be the Lord will be with me; which he
spake not as doubting of his presence and power to be with him, and assist him,
but as placing his confidence therein, and, distrusting his own power and
ability, having no dependence or that, but believing that the Lord, or, as the
Targum, the Word of the Lord, would be with him for his help:
then, says Caleb:
I shall be able to drive them out, as the Lord said; that is, to
drive the Anakims out of their cities, or out of the mountains, the caves and
dens there, to which they betook themselves, since the taking of Hebron, Debir,
and Anab, by Joshua, Joshua 11:22; and
he relied upon the promise of God to enable him to do this, and not upon his
natural strength and courage, or the number and prowess of the warlike tribe of
Judah, of which he was prince.
Joshua 14:13 13 And Joshua blessed him,
and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as an inheritance.
YLT
13And Joshua blesseth him,
and giveth Hebron to Caleb son of Jephunneh for an inheritance,
And Joshua blessed him,.... By granting him his
request, congratulating him upon it, and praying for and wishing him success in
his attempt to drive out the giants, and possess their country:
and gave unto Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, Hebron for an
inheritance; being satisfied of the justness of his suit, of its being the
will of God, and the order of Moses, that he should have this for an
inheritance, which he had heard himself, had knowledge of, and well remembered:
this is to be understood not of the city of Hebron itself, for that was given
to the Levites, and was a city of refuge, but the country round about in the
fields and villages annexed to it, as appears from Joshua 21:12.
Joshua 14:14 14 Hebron therefore became
the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day,
because he wholly followed the Lord God of Israel.
YLT
14therefore hath Hebron been
to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenezzite for an inheritance unto this day,
because that he was fully after Jehovah, God of Israel;
Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of
Jephunneh the Kenezite unto this day,.... The time of the
writing of this book:
because he wholly followed the Lord God of Israel; as in Joshua 14:8; Hebron
signifies fellowship or communion; and this in a spiritual sense is very
desirable by all the people of God, as Hebron was by Caleb, even communion with
God, Father, Son and Spirit, with angels and saints, both now and hereafter;
and they are willing to engage with their spiritual enemies in the name and
strength of Christ, though ever so potent, may they but enjoy this blessing,
and which is more or less granted, to all the hearty, sincere, and faithful
followers of Christ; see John 14:21.
Joshua 14:15 15 And the name of Hebron
formerly was Kirjath Arba (Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim). Then
the land had rest from war.
YLT
15and the name of Hebron
formerly [is] Kirjath-Arba (he [is] the great man among the Anakim); and the
land hath rest from war.
And the name of Hebron before was Kirjatharba,.... According
to JeromF21De loc. Heb. fol. 87. F. , it had its name of Hebron from
a son or grandson of Caleb of that name, 1 Chronicles 2:42;
and if so, then it is here, and in some other places, so called by
anticipation: Kirjatharba may be rendered "the city of the four"; and
had its name, as some think, from the four couple buried there, or near it,
Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Leah; or from
four eminent persons, who formerly dwelt there, Aner, Eshcol, Mamre, and
Abraham; or rather from four persons that more lately dwelt there, Anak and his
three sons, Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai; or Arba is the name of some great man,
to whom this city belonged, and so was called the city of Arba, which is the
sense of our version, as appears by the following supplement:
which Arba was a great man
among the Anakims; both in stature and in dignity, and in authority, which some take
to be Anak himself, the father of the Anakims; so Jarchi and Kimchi:
and the land had rest from war; as is observed in Joshua 11:23; after
Joshua had finished his conquest; and here again it is remarked just before the
division of the land, as being now a proper time for it.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》